Mechanism for controlling electric circuits



Feb. 24, 1931. R. PUDELKO MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC CIRCUITS Filed June 11, 1926 Patented Feb. 24, 1931 a 1,794,244,.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RICOARD PUDELKO, OI ZU G, SWITZEBLAN D MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC CIRCUITS Application filed June 11, 1828, Serial No. 115,188, and in Switzerland July 1, 1925.

The invention relates to novel and useful A base plate 1 is provided, of insulating I improvements in electric switches,and more material, which serves as ENSQ port for the especially to novel and useful improvements circuit terminals and the coop rating switch in such switches which are especially demechanism. One of the circuit terminals signed to prevent arcing. comprises a main contact 2, supported on the 65 Objects and advantages of the invention base 1, and constituting the head of a screw will be set forth in part hereinafter and in bolt 4, projecting rearwardly through an part will be obvious herefrom, or may be openingin the base plate. The contact head learned by practice with the invention, the 2 is provided with a collar 3, which rests same being realized and attained by means against the front face of the base plate, and 60 of the instrumentalities and combinations the screw-threaded rod 4 projects from the pointed out in the appended claims. opposite face thereof. This screw-threaded The invention consists in the novel parts, rod is provided with a locking nut 5, and the constructions, arrangements, combinations circuit wire may be connected with this ter- 1 and improvements herein shown and deminal in any known or suitable manner. 65 scribed. There are other parts cooperating with the The accompanying drawings, referred to foregoing which will be later described.

herein and constituting a art hereof, illus- T 0 other circuit terminal comprises a trate one embodiment of t e invention, and screw bolt 11, having a head 9 on the front together with the description, serve to exside of the base plate 1. The head of the plain the principles of the invention. screw fits into ,a groove 10, formed in the Of the drawings base plate, and serves to aline the parts and Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a switch mechato hold them in position. The screw bolt 11 nism embodying the invention; passes through an aperature in the base plate 7 Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken 1, and projects from the back face thereof, 75

substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and on the back is provided with a washer showing the switch mechanism in the c rcuit 12 and a locking nut 13, which serve as a conclosing position; nection to the other circuit wire.

Fig. 3 shows the same mechanism as Flg. 2, The various switch units may be mounted 3 but in the open circuit position; slngly or in any. numbersuitable or neces- Fig. 4 is a detached detail elevation of sary for the kind of installation, 'or the one of the series contacts of the auxiliary other, requiremen'ts'of the plant. As exemcircuit making and breaking device; plified in the, drawings, three switches are Fig. 5 is a similar Figure, looking at Fig. mounted together, and'may operate as a tri- 4 from the right, but showing the first disc polar unit. 4

in vertical substantially central section; Referring nowto the making and break? Fig. 6 is an enlarge horizontal fragmening means for the main circuit between the tary sectional view of the left-hand end of terminals 2 and 9, a movable bar or switch the'central part of Fig. 3; and member 17 is provided, permanently con- 40 Fig. 7 is an enlarged, vertical fragmentary nected to the terminal 9, and having a con- 90 sectional view of the right-hand end of the tact 18 movable into and out of engagement central part of Fig. 3. with the contact 2. In the preferred .em-

Referringnow in detail to'the embodiment bodied form, the member 17 is a curved bar of the invention, illustrated by way of exof flat metal, the lower part thereof being ample in the accompanying drawings, the incurved, as shown in Figs 2 and 3, and having 95 vention is shown applied to a contact switch, electrical connection with, and a spring although it is applicable to other kinds of mounting upon, the circuit terminal 9. switches, and it will be understood that the v To effect the desired spring action, the

form of embodiment of the various features lower end of the bar 17 is mounted on a of theinvention may be widely varied. curved flat spring 19, which is apertured at 100 its free end, and rests in the slot 10, the screw rod 11 passing through the aperture and the head 9 of the screw holding the spring 19 in position. The flat spring 19 is curved, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, about the lower end of the bar or switch member 17, and'is fastened thereto by suitable means, such as one or more rivets20.

In accordance with one feature of the invention, the spring 19 is utilized to provide spring opening and closing action for the main switch or circuit control. Accordingly, the spring 19' is continued past its point of attachment to the bar or switch member 17, and extends upwardly along the member 17, but spaced away therefrom, so as to have free spring action. A cooperating flat spring member 21 is also provided, to efi'ect the spring action in the reverse movement of the switch, and one endof this spring 21 rests upon the spring 19 and is fastened thereto and to the member 17 by common fastening means 20.

The free ends of the springs 19 and 21 are spaced apart one from the other. To cooper- 1 ate therewith, the-free end of the bar' or switch member 17 is curved outwardly and backwardly and is positioned between the free ends of the two springs, and is provided with an angled portion 22, which serves to space the two springs apart, and to participate in the spring-operating switch opening and closing action.

Means are provided for actuating the switch and for maintaining it in open or closed position, said means preferably cooperating directly with the two springs 19 and 21, and as embodied, comprises an angularly shaped bail or actuator 25, pivoted at its ends 26 and 27 in two slotted posts,

screw-fastened into the base plate 1. The central reach of this actuating bail or actuator has a'cover 28 of insulating material and is located between the springs 19 and21.

This actuating and positioning means for the bail or switch actuator may be either hand operated or automatically operated, as may be found desirable or convenient. An automatic operating means whereby the bail or member is actuated to open and close and position the circuit are shown in Figs 2 and 3. As shown, said means comprises an arm 30, fixed to one of the arms of the bail, and connected by a rod 31 to a timingmechanisin, or any other suitable automatic con tro i Means are provided by theinvention constituting an auxiliary circuit vmaking and breaking device operated by the same switch and designed to prevent arcing between the main contacts. This device is also, in accordance with one feature. of the invention, a deayed action device. In the present'instance these features are embodied together.

In the embodied form, a plurality of circuit making and breaking devices, arranged in series, are provided in an auxiliary circuit, and make and break the circuit cooperatively with the main circuit closing and opening means. As embodied, a plurality of conducting bodies 34 are arranged in series, and are simultaneously movable into contact one with another or apart one from another, to make and break the circuit in the manner described.

As embodied, the various contacts 34 are mounted, respectively, in a corresponding series of discs 35, preferably circular, ofnonconducting material, and the discsare concatenated or connected together so as to permit the desired movements of the contacts and to preserve them in alinement. In the preferred embodiment of said connecting and alining means, each of the discs 35 is provided with a plurality of pairs of slots 36. The connections between adjoining discs, cooperating with these slots, comprise narrow metal strips 37, passing through alined slots in two adjacent discs. The strips after pass ing through the slots are bent at right angles, on the opposite sides of the two discs, as shown at 38. f

The strips are proportioned to permit the re uisite relative movement of the contacts, an preferably also to form a helical series along the line of discs. These parts are omit-' ted from Figs. 2 and 3 for the sake of clearness,but are shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. There are preferably two such connections between each pair 'of adjoining discs and these are preferably diametrally position-ed. It will be understood that each of the discs is connected in this manner with the adjoining disc on either side thereof, as appears clearly from Figs. 5 and 6. To support the series of contact discs 34 in position, and to provide them with electrical connections at'either end, the left-hand disc of the series, as shown in'the drawin s is connected to the bar or member 17 in sifiistantially the same manner that the discs are connected to each other.

' At the opposite or inner end of the series of contacts, is provided a bar-3910f conducting material, and preferably rigid. This bar 39 is apertured to receive the screw rod 4 of the contact 2, and the bar is set in a groove 40, formed in the back face of the base plate 1, and is thereby held firmly in position by the nut 5. Near the free end thereof the bar 40 is rovided with an aperture 41, and throug this aperture pro ects a movable,

spring-pressed contact 42. Contact 42 is mounted on a conducting spring member 43, likewise apertured at its other end thereby mounted on the screw rod 4, and held in place by the nut 5. The inner disc 35 is connected to the bar 39 by the strips 37 in the manner already described. Thus the entire series of contacts 34, with their supporting discs,- are supported and maintained in alinement, by their connections with plate 39, switch bar 17,

. tacts closed.

and with each other, and will move into and out of contact with each other during the operation of the switch.

In the operation of the present embodiment of the invention, and assuming the device to be in the circuit-closing position of Figs. 1 and 2, the main circuit is closed at the contacts 2 and 18, and the auxiliary circuit is closed through the series of contacts 34, the sprin 21 holdin both sets of conn this position, it will be noted that the resilient strip 43 is flexed backwardly from the rear face of the base plate 1, with its contact 42 consequently pressing against the right-hand contact 34.

When the actuator is swung to the left from the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3, spring 21 is moved away from the switch bar 17, and the member 25 is moved away from the spring 19, and spring 19 snaps the main switch open at the contacts 2 and 18. During the ackward movement of the curved switch bar 17, as just described, the series of contacts 34.- in the auxiliary circuit will move to the left with the bar 17. However, due to the preliminary flexure of the resilient strip 43, it moves to the left in Figs. 2 and 3 during the early part of this circuit-opening movement, and for a brief instant keeps the auxiliary circuit closed after the main circuit has been opening. However, when the strip 43 contacts with the bar 39, and is stopped thereby, the further movement to the left-of the switch bar 17 breaks the auxiliary circuit at each of the contacts 34. Thereby, the circuit is interrupted at practi- 1 cally the same instant at a number of contact points, thereby preventing arcing of the current. This is very advantageous es ecially for direct current circuits, but may be used also for alternatin current circuits, particularly those of high voltages.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the particular structure of mechanism herein shown and described, as departures may be made therefrom within the.

scope of the accompanying claims without departing fgm the principles of t e invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is 1. In a circuit controlling mechanism, two circuit terminals, one being movable and the other resiliently mounted, a plurality of intervening concatenated conducting bodies in series between said terminals, means for moving one circuit terminal to make and break the circuit between the various conductin bodies, the breaking of the circuit being delayed by said resilient mounting of one of the terminals.

2. In a circuit controlling mechanism a pair of terminals, a spring mounting for one of said terminals, a rigid actuating member for said spring mounted terminal and a s ring interposed between said actuator and t e spring mounting for said terminal.

3. In a circuit controlling mechanism, a pair of terminals, a rigid carrier for one of the terminals and a spring mounting for said rigid carrier, a rigid actuator for said terminal carrier and a 5 ring interposed between said actuator and said terminal carnor.

4. In a circuit controlling mechanism, a main switch and a delayed action auxiliary switch having a pair of terminals, one of which is movable with the main switch,'a plurality of conducting bodies in series between the terminals, the other of said terminals being resiliently mounted to press the conducting bodies into engagement with each other.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

RICCARD PUDELKO. 

